Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
PARK
( 305-451-6300;
www.pennekamppark.com
; MM 102.6 oceanside; car/motorcycle/cyclist or pedes-
trian $8/4/2; 8am-sunset, aquarium to 5pm; )
John Pennekamp has the singular distinction of being the first underwater park in the
USA. There's 170 acres of dry parkland here and over 48,000 acres (ie 75 sq miles) of wet:
the vast majority of the protected area is the ocean. Before you get out in that water, make
sure to dig around some pleasant beaches and stroll over the nature trails.
The
Mangrove Trail
is a good boardwalk introduction to this oft-maligned, ecologic-
ally awesome arboreal species (the trees, often submerged in water, breathe via long roots
that act as snorkels - neat). Stick around for nightly campfire programs and ranger discus-
sions.
The visitor center is well run and informative and has a small, cute
aquarium
(8am to
5pm) that gives a glimpse of what's under them thar waters. To really get beneath the sur-
face of this park (pun intended), you should take a 2½-hour
glass-bottom boat tour
(
305-451-6300; adult/child $24/17; 9:15am, 12:15pm & 3:15pm)
. You won't be ferried around
in some rinky-dink fishing boat; you're brought out in a safe, modern 38ft catamaran from
which you'll ooh and aah at filigreed flaps of soft coral, technicolor schools of fish,
dangerous-looking barracuda and massive, yet ballerina-graceful, sea turtles. Besides the
swirl of natural coral life, interested divers can catch a glimpse of the Christ of the Abyss,
an 8.5ft, 4000lb submerged bronze sculpture of Jesus - a copy of a similar sculpture off
the coast of Genoa, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea.
If you want to go even deeper, try straight-up
snorkeling trips
( 305-451-6300; adult/
child $30/25)
or
diving excursions
( 305-451-6322; $55)
. DIYers may want to take out a
canoe ($20 per hour) or kayak (single/double per hour $12/$17) to journey through a
3-mile network of trails. Call 305-451-6300 for boat-rental information.
To learn more about the reef in this area, go to
www.southeastfloridareefs.net
.
Jacob's Aquatics Center
PARK
( 305-453-7946;
http://jacobsaquaticcenter.org
; 320 Laguna Ave, MM 99.6; adult/child/student/
family $10/6/8/25; 11am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun; )
Jacob's is a complex of all kinds of aquatic fun. There's an eight-lane pool for lap and
open swimming, a therapy pool with handicapped access, courses on water aerobics. For
